U.S. patent application number 16/123547 was filed with the patent office on 2019-03-14 for precision control device for regulating a dc load, and electrical assembly comprising the control device.
This patent application is currently assigned to AgieMinds Micro Optics Co., Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is AgieMinds Micro Optics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Jui-Huang Cheng, Chih-Yi Yang.
Application Number | 20190081563 16/123547 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65631630 |
Filed Date | 2019-03-14 |
![](/patent/app/20190081563/US20190081563A1-20190314-D00000.png)
![](/patent/app/20190081563/US20190081563A1-20190314-D00001.png)
![](/patent/app/20190081563/US20190081563A1-20190314-D00002.png)
![](/patent/app/20190081563/US20190081563A1-20190314-D00003.png)
![](/patent/app/20190081563/US20190081563A1-20190314-D00004.png)
![](/patent/app/20190081563/US20190081563A1-20190314-D00005.png)
![](/patent/app/20190081563/US20190081563A1-20190314-D00006.png)
![](/patent/app/20190081563/US20190081563A1-20190314-D00007.png)
![](/patent/app/20190081563/US20190081563A1-20190314-D00008.png)
United States Patent
Application |
20190081563 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yang; Chih-Yi ; et
al. |
March 14, 2019 |
Precision Control Device for Regulating a DC Load, and Electrical
Assembly Comprising the Control Device
Abstract
A precision control device generally comprises a
current-limiting resistance, a voltage control unit, and a feedback
voltage regulation unit. The current-limiting resistance has a
grounded end and is serially connected to a DC load. The voltage
control unit includes a microprocessor and a DAC. The feedback
voltage regulation unit includes at least one operational amplifier
and a transistor having a control input, a collector, and an
emitter. The transistor is configured to operate at an unsaturated
region, wherein the control input thereof receives a signal sent
from an output terminal of the operational amplifier. The precision
control device enables a power supply to smoothly adjust a
predetermined output voltage set value for the DC load in response
to a deviation of a voltage applied to the DC load. As such, the
current flowing through the DC load and the current-limiting
resistance can be regulated at a stable level.
Inventors: |
Yang; Chih-Yi; (Taipei,
TW) ; Cheng; Jui-Huang; (Taipei, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AgieMinds Micro Optics Co., Ltd. |
New Taipei City |
|
TW |
|
|
Assignee: |
AgieMinds Micro Optics Co.,
Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
65631630 |
Appl. No.: |
16/123547 |
Filed: |
September 6, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02M 3/155 20130101;
H05B 45/37 20200101; H02M 1/08 20130101; H02P 7/292 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H02M 3/155 20060101
H02M003/155; H02M 1/08 20060101 H02M001/08; H02P 7/292 20060101
H02P007/292; H05B 33/08 20060101 H05B033/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 14, 2017 |
CN |
201710825063.4 |
Claims
1. A precision control device for regulating a DC load at a
selective predetermined level, comprising: a current-limiting
resistance serially connected to a DC load and having two ends, one
end of the resistance distal from the DC load is grounded; a
voltage control unit, including: a microprocessor and a DAC,
wherein the DAC converts a digital signal issued from the
microprocessor to a corresponding analog signal, and a feedback
voltage regulation unit, including: at least one operational
amplifier having a noninverting input, an inverting input, and an
output terminal, wherein the inverting input is connected to a
second end of the current-limiting resistance opposite to the end
being grounded, and the noninverting input is connected to the DAC
for receiving the analog signal; and a transistor configured to
operate at an unsaturated region and having a control input, a
collector, and an emitter, wherein the control input is connected
to the output terminal of the operational amplifier, and the
collector and the emitter are connected between the DC load and the
current-limiting resistance such that one of the connector and the
emitter is connected to the DC load while the other one of the
connector and the emitter is connected to the second end of the
current-limiting resistance and connected to the inverting input of
the operational amplifier so that the potential at the second end
of the current-limiting resistance tends to follow the potential of
the analog signal sent from the DAC, and thus the current flowing
through the DC load and the current-limiting resistance is
regulated at a stable level.
2. The precision control device of claim 1, wherein the transistor
is a BJT.
3. The precision control device of claim 1, wherein the transistor
is an IGBT.
4. The precision control device of claim 1, wherein the transistor
is a BiCMOS transistor.
5. The precision control device of claim 1, wherein the transistor
is a Darlinton transistor.
6. The precision control device of claim 1, wherein a feedback
resistance is added between the inverting input of the operational
amplifier and the current-limiting resistance to increase the gain
of the operational amplifier.
7. An electrical assembly, comprising: a power supply capable of
providing DC power; a DC load receiving the DC power from the power
supply; a control device enabling the power supply to smoothly
adjust a predetermined output voltage set value for the DC load in
response to a deviation of a voltage applied to the DC load, the
control device including: a current-limiting resistance serially
connected to the DC load and having two ends, one end of which
distal from the DC load is grounded; a voltage control unit,
including a microprocessor and a DAC, wherein the DAC converts a
digital signal issued from the microprocessor to a corresponding
analog signal; and a feedback voltage regulation unit, including at
least one operational amplifier and a transistor; the operational
amplifier has a noninverting input, an inverting input, and an
output terminal, wherein the inverting input is connected to a
second end of the resistance opposite to the end being grounded,
and the noninverting input is connected to the DAC for receiving
the analog signal; the transistor is configured to operate at an
unsaturated region and has a control input, a collector, and an
emitter, wherein the control input is connected to the output
terminal of the operational amplifier, the collector and the
emitter are connected between the DC load and the current-limiting
resistance, one of the connector and the emitter being connected to
the DC load while the other one of the connector and the emitter
being connected to the second end of the resistance and connected
to the inverting input of the operational amplifier so that the
potential at the second end of the resistance tends to follow the
potential of the analog signal sent from the DAC, and thus the
current flowing through the DC load and the current-limiting
resistance is regulated at a stable level.
8. The electrical assembly of claim 7, wherein the feedback voltage
regulation unit further includes an ADC connected between the
microprocessor and a negative end of the DC load, so that the
microprocessor can decide whether the power supply has provided a
suitable voltage to the DC load; the power supply includes a
boost-buck controller which is connected to the microprocessor via
a signal line, so that the microprocessor can command the
boost-buck controller to adjust the predetermined output voltage
set value for the DC load.
9. The electrical assembly of claim 7, wherein the DC load is a set
of LEDs.
10. The electrical assembly of claim 7, wherein the DC load is a DC
motor.
11. The electrical assembly of claim 8, wherein the DC load is a
set of LEDs.
12. The electrical assembly of claim 8, wherein the DC load is a DC
motor.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for a DC
load and, more particularly, to a precision control device for a DC
load, and an electrical assembly including the control device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Due to the natural resources being gradually depleted and
the greenhouse effect becoming more and more serious, the
electricity cost increases. Under this condition, various
manufacturers have introduced various products that comply with
environmental standards and energy conservation. Today, it is more
stringent for a product to meet the requirements of environmental
protection and green energy. In recent years, with the rapid
development of LED-related technologies and the cost reduction,
LEDs have been widely used in a variety of fields. In addition, an
LED light has various advantages such as energy saving, excellent
color saturation, long life, and environmental protection. Under
today's environmental protection and energy-saving awareness, LED
lights are gradually replacing conventional incandescent and
fluorescent lamps, becoming the mainstream of the lighting products
and expanding their applications in other fields.
[0003] For incandescent lamp, since the electro-optical conversion
efficiency is not good, they do not meet the requirements of
environmental protection and green energy. Generally, the luminous
intensity of an incandescent lamp is adjusted through a silicon
control dimmer, which however may produce a series of surge current
to cause LEDs to flicker heavily, and furthermore, when the current
flowing through the LEDs is too small, current harmonic distortion
or even phase mismatch may occur. Thus, it is improper to simply
use of a silicon control dimmer to adjust the luminous intensity of
an LED light source.
[0004] Currently, the more mature technology is using PWM (pulse
width modulation), which allows a transistor to be switched on/off
at high frequency to drive LEDs to be bright and dark alternately
at high frequency. The bright-dark frequency is much higher than
the human eye can perceive. The brightness perceived by the human
eye is based on the visual persistence, which is an average of the
alternate brightness and darkness. By changing the on/off ratio in
a period, a person can perceive a change of the luminous intensity
of the LEDs. However, in addition to a high cost, the PWM control
method can generate high-frequency EMI (electromagnetic
interference). Furthermore, to keep away the human eyes from
perceiving the flickering condition, the on/off period of the LEDs
is relatively short. Therefore, when an LED light source is
intended to operate at very low luminous intensity (for example 1%
of the rated intensity), the conduction period is very short
compared to a total period; that is, a circuit has to be turned
on/off in very short time. However, an LED circuit usually takes
some response time to change from an off state to a conduction
state, thus causing the luminous intensity of the LED light source
unable to meet the requirement.
[0005] If an LED light source is regulated by a constant current
regulator (CCR), due to unavoidable drift of the output voltage of
the power supply, the luminous intensity of the LED light source is
unstable. Furthermore, a drift of the volage may cause a drift of
the wavelength, thus changing the color temperature. It is not easy
for an LED light source controlled by a CCR to emit light less than
10% of its maximum luminous intensity.
[0006] The problem of luminous intensity drift and wavelength drift
would become serious in some applications. For example, in a
criminal investigation, a reagent such as luminol is usually
sprayed at criminal scenes so as to determine blood stains, wherein
ultraviolet (365 nm) or violet (405 nm) is used to excite the
reagent to release a blue glow or fluorescence, so that a
fluorescent-reaction result serving as evidence for analysis can be
obtained. Due to the result depending on the wavelength and
intensity of the excitation light, how to ensure these properties
to remain unchanged and maintain accurate values in tests for
evidence becomes a decisive factor on the credibility of the
evidence.
[0007] In biotechnology identification, anlaysis has been developed
from qualitative aspects to quantitative aspects. For example, in
an experiment of gene transfer, in order to determine whether a
specific gene is successfully transferred, an excitation light can
be used to excite a fluorescent protein, which is often produced in
a gene transfer, to confirm the presence of the fluorescent protein
and the intensity of the fluorescent reaction. If there is a change
of the wavelength of the excitation light, the fluorescent protein
reaction may suddenly decrease to cause misjudgment. In some
applications, such as determining the blood sugar concentration of
diabetic people or the concentration of dioxin in food or articles,
slight misjudgment is not allowed.
[0008] Data reproducibility is important for a criminal
investigation, Dioxin concentration test, or blood glucose
concentration test. For a commodity to be tested whether it
contains dioxin, it is not allowed that the light source for the
test has a drift in its light intensity or wavelength, because the
drift may cause different results on different test dates, thus
causing misjudgment and loss of data reproducibility. In a research
for comparisons between experimental and control groups, a drift of
the light intensity or wavelength may cause difficulty in analyzing
the groups.
[0009] Furthermore, the human eye cannot detect the PWM signal,
which takes only a few microseconds in each period. According to
current technology, for example, a SONY camera can take up to
thousands of pictures per second; a more advanced high-speed camera
can take 50,000 pictures per second. Since the flickering of an LED
light source can be recorded by a high-speed camera, the PWM
control method is inapplicable to a test that requires a camera to
take pictures.
[0010] Furthermore, patients lack of sunlight for a long time or
people in high latitudes are susceptible to depression. Also,
people lack of appropriate violet/UV light stimulation may lead to
vitamin D deficiency. The aforementioned problems can be alleviated
by providing appropriate blue light, violet light, or ultraviolet
light to those persons. However, short-wavelength light carries
higher energy each photon. A person may suffer skin cancer if
exposed under short-wavelength light for a period of time.
Nevertheless, it is quite helpful for vitamin D produced in the
human body if a person is exposed under UV light with a specific
wavelength and an extremely narrow bandwidth. In other words, the
benefits would be significantly reduced if a person is exposed
under UV light of other wavelengths.
[0011] In view of the foregoing, it is important for the voltage
applied to an LED light source to be controlled at a precise level,
so that the wavelength and luminous intensity of the LED light
source can be controlled at a constant level. Conventional
technology, such as PWM or CCR, has disadvantages, wherein the PWM
method incurs higher cost and may cause high frequency EMI; the CCR
method may cause a change of the luminous intensity or the color
temperature. Particularly, either the CCR or PWM method is
unsuitable for a light working at a low brightness state. The
present invention provides an adjustable power supply, which can
supply precise constant current to avoid a drift of its output
voltage, so that a DC load can maintain its stable operation, and
thus a light source using the power supply can ensure its
quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] One object of the present invention is to provide a
precision control device, which can regulate a DC power supply and
enables a DC load to be operated at a precise constant state.
[0013] A second object of the present invention is to provide a
precision control device, which can regulate a DC power supply
provided for a DC load, so that the DC load can be operated with
data reproducibility to facilitate quantitative analysis.
[0014] A third object of the present invention is to provide a
precision control device, which includes a transistor operated at
an unsaturated region, so that a drift or deviation of the output
voltage of a power supply can be nullified, and thus a DC load can
be operated at a constant state.
[0015] A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a
precision control device, which can regulate a DC load, so that the
DC load can be operated at a precise and selected state.
[0016] A fifth object of the present invention is to provide an
electrical assembly, which includes a precision control device and
a DC light source capable of providing precise luminous
intensity.
[0017] A sixth object of the present invention is to provide an
electrical assembly, which includes a precision control device
which allows the current flowing through an LED light source to be
maintained at a precise level, so that the luminous quality of the
LED light source can be ensured, and furthermore, EMI, wavelength
drift, and luminous intensity drift, when the light source works at
low brightness state, can be prevented.
[0018] The precision control device generally comprises a
current-limiting resistance, a voltage control unit, and a feedback
voltage regulation unit. The current-limiting resistance, which has
two ends, is serially connected to a DC load, wherein one end of
the resistance distal from the DC load is grounded. The voltage
control unit includes a microprocessor and a DAC, wherein the DAC
converts a digital signal issued from the microprocessor to a
corresponding analog signal. The feedback voltage regulation unit
includes at least one operational amplifier and a transistor. The
operational amplifier has a noninverting input, an inverting input,
and an output terminal, wherein the inverting input is connected to
a second end of the current-limiting resistance opposite to the end
being grounded, and the noninverting input is connected to the DAC
for receiving the analog signal. The transistor, which has a
control input, a collector, and an emitter, is configured to
operate at an unsaturated region, wherein the control input is
connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier, and
the collector and the emitter are connected between the DC load and
the current-limiting resistance such that one of the connector and
the emitter is connected to the DC load while the other one of the
connector and the emitter is connected to the second end of the
current-limiting resistance and connected to the inverting input of
the operational amplifier so that the potential at the second end
of the current-limiting resistance tends to follow the potential of
the analog signal sent from the DAC, and thus the current flowing
through the DC load and the current-limiting resistance can be
regulated at a stable level.
[0019] The above precision control device can be used to regulate a
sensitive DC load. However, a precision control device can be
combined with a DC load to become an integral device, such as an
electrical assembly disclosed in the present invention, which
generally comprises a power supply, a DC load, and a control
device. The power supply can provide DC power. The DC load receives
the DC power from the power supply. The control device, which
enables the power supply to smoothly adjust a predetermined output
voltage set value for the DC load in response to a deviation of a
voltage applied to the DC load, includes a current-limiting
resistance, a voltage control unit, and a feedback voltage
regulation unit. The current-limiting resistance, which has two
ends, is serially connected to the DC load, wherein one end of the
resistance distal from the DC load is grounded. The voltage control
unit includes a microprocessor and a DAC, wherein the DAC converts
a digital signal issued from the microprocessor to a corresponding
analog signal. The feedback voltage regulation unit includes at
least one operational amplifier and a transistor. The operational
amplifier has a noninverting input, an inverting input, and an
output terminal, wherein the inverting input is connected to a
second end of the resistance opposite to the end being grounded,
and the noninverting input is connected to the DAC for receiving
the analog signal; the transistor is configured to operate at an
unsaturated region and has a control input, a collector, and an
emitter, wherein the control input is connected to the output
terminal of the operational amplifier, the collector and the
emitter are connected between the DC load and the current-limiting
resistance, one of the connector and the emitter being connected to
the DC load while the other one of the connector and the emitter
being connected to the second end of the resistance and connected
to the inverting input of the operational amplifier so that that
the potential at the second end of the resistance tends to follow
the potential of the analog signal sent from the DAC, and thus the
current flowing through the DC load and the current-limiting
resistance can be regulated at a stable level.
[0020] With the transistor configured to operate at an unsaturated
region, a drift or deviation of the output voltage of the power
supply can be nullified, and thus the current flowing through the
DC load can be maintained at a precise predetermined level.
Particularly, the control device of the present invention, which
does not use high-cost PWM, which can emit high-frequency EMI, can
control an LED light source properly to avoid wavelength drift
and/or luminous intensity drift. Besides, the control device of the
present invention can provide a more faithful control for a light
source working at a low brightness state than PWM or CCR
technology. With the control device, an accurate and reliable DC
light source can be made and applicable in precision inspections or
experiments, which require data reproducibility for quantitative
analysis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a schematic circuit diagram according to a
first embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows a criminal investigation apparatus employing an
LED light source as shown in FIG. 1.
[0023] FIG. 3 shows a schematic circuit diagram according to a
second embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows a fluorescence microscope employing an LED
light source as shown in FIG. 3.
[0025] FIG. 5 shows a schematic circuit diagram according to a
third embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 6 shows a shadowless lamp employing an LED light source
as shown in FIG. 5.
[0027] FIG. 7 shows a schematic circuit diagram according to a
fourth embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 8 shows a schematic circuit diagram according to a
fifth embodiment of the present invention.
[0029] The foregoing and other features and advantages of
illustrated embodiments of the present invention will be more
readily apparent from the following detailed description, which
proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] The foregoing and other technical contents, features and
advantages of the present invention will be illustrated in detail
by way of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying
drawings. In the exemplary embodiments, same elements will be
indicated by similar numerals or labels.
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention,
which concerns a precision control device for regulating a DC load,
and an electrical assembly comprising the control device, wherein
the DC load 1 is an LED (light emitting diode) light source. The
luminous intensity of an LED is mainly controlled by the current
flowing therethrough. However, the driving voltage of an LED is not
linear with the current flowing through the LED. A slight variation
on the voltage applied to an LED may cause a significant change of
the luminous intensity of the LED. In this embodiment, the power
supply 2 is implemented as a DC power supply with a maximum voltage
output of 50 volts, and the LED light source is constructed of four
light strips connected in parallel, each light strip containing 10
LEDs. When the light source is turned on, the potential drop across
each LED element is 3.3 volts, and thus the voltage drop between
two opposite ends of each light strip is 33 volts. The luminous
intensity of each light strip changes with the voltage applied
thereto or the current flowing therethrough; however, there is no
linearity therebetween.
[0032] The luminous intensity of an LED light strip is controlled
by the amount of current flowing through the LED strip. To measure
the current flowing through a DC load, a resistance can be
connected in series with the DC load. Since the value of the
resistance is known accurately, the current flowing through the DC
load can be calculated. With this method, the amount of current
flowing through the DC load 1 can be indirectly monitored. In this
embodiment, a current-limiting resistance 5 is connected in series
with the LED light source 1, wherein one end 51 of the resistance 5
distal from the LED light source 1 is grounded. The current (Is),
which flows through the LED light source 1 as well as the
current-limiting resistance 5, can be calculated by measuring the
potential drop across the current-limiting resistance 5. Thus, by
adjusting the potential drop across the resistance 5, the luminous
intensity of the LED light source 1 can be adjusted.
[0033] However, the output voltage provided by the DC power supply
2 may inevitably have a slight drift or deviation. To completely
eliminate a drift requires the use of very expensive components and
circuits, making the cost of the power supply unaffordable. On the
other hand, due to the characteristic of LEDs, the brightness of an
LED element may change significantly even only a small voltage
change, especially when the LED element operates at low luminous
intensity. According to current technology, LEDs could hardly
maintain a state of stable luminous intensity. To maintain a state
of stable luminous intensity for LEDs, a feedback voltage
regulation unit 3 is employed in the present invention. As shown,
the feedback voltage regulation unit 3 includes an NPN-type bipolar
junction transistor (BJT) 31, which has a base 311 serving as a
control input, an emitter 313, and a collector 315, and an
operational amplifier 33, which has a noninverting input (positive
input) 333, an inverting input (negative input) 335, and an output
terminal 331, wherein the transistor 31 is configured to operate at
an unsaturated region. The control input 311 receives a voltage
signal from the output terminal 331 of the operational amplifier
33, so that the transistor 31 produces an amplified voltage signal,
and thus a suitable voltage between the emitter 313 and the
collector 315 can be formed.
[0034] The collector 315 of the transistor 31 is connected to the
DC load 1, and the emitter 313 of the transistor 31 is connected to
a second end 53 of the current-limiting resistor 5 opposite to the
grounded end 51, so that the sum of the voltage drop across the DC
load 1 and the voltage drop across the resistor 5 can be obtained
by subtracting the potential between the collector 315 and the
emitter 313 from the DC output voltage of the power supply 2. By
controlling the potential difference between the collector 315 and
the emitter 313 of the transistor 31, the current flowing through
the DC load 1 can be controlled at a desired level.
[0035] The potential difference between the emitter 313 and the
collector 315 of the transistor 31 depends on the output signal of
the operational amplifier 33. The operational amplifier 33 can
compare the signal received at the noninverting input 333 with the
signal received at the inverting input 335 to produce an amplified,
in-phase output signal.
[0036] In this embodiment, the voltage control unit 4 includes a
microprocessor 41 and a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) 43. The
precision or resolution of the converted signal depends on the
number of bits being used to represent a digital signal issued by
the microprocessor 41. For example, if the DAC converts one 8-bit
digital signal to a corresponding analog signal with 3V
peak-to-peak range, there are 256 different levels that can be used
to represent the signal; as a result, the resolution of the
conversation is 11.7 mV/level. Similarly, for a DAC which converts
one 16-bit signal to a corresponding analog signal with 3V
peak-to-peak range, there are 65536 different levels that can be
used to represent the signal; as a result; the resolution of the
conversation is 46 uV/level. In either example, the analog signal
converted by the DAC 43 is transmitted to the noninverting input
333 of the operational amplifier 33. In this embodiment, the
emitter 313 of the transistor 31 is fed back to the inverting input
335 of the operational amplifier 33, so that the potential of the
inverting input 335 or the second end of the resistance 5 tends to
follow the potential of the analog signal from the DAC 43.
[0037] Although in the present embodiment, the DAC which converts
an 8-bit or 16-bit digital signal into an analog signal is used, it
is easily understood by those skilled in the art that a digital
signal represented by a different number of bits can also be used.
In addition, the transistor 31 operated at an unsaturated region
can be an NPN or PNP BJT (bipolar-junction transistor), an IGBT
(insulated-gate bipolar transistor), a BiCMOS transistor, and a
Darlington transistor, which does not affect the implementation of
the present invention.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 2 in conjunction with FIG. 1, the LED
light source and the control device of the first embodiment can be
applied to a high-speed image capturing device, such as a
high-speed camera 6, wherein the DAC 43 of the control device
converts a 16-bit digital signal issued from the microprocessor 41
based on a user's selection to a corresponding analog signal, which
is in turn sent to the noninverting input 333 of the operational
amplifier 33. Moreover, since the inverting input 335 is connected
to the emitter 313 of the transistor 31, the potential at the
second end of the resistance 5 or the inverting input 335 tends to
follow the potential of the analog signal sent from the operational
amplifier 33.
[0039] The inverting input 335 of the operational amplifier 33, the
emitter 313 of the transistor 31, and the second end 53 of the
resistance 5 are connected together and thus are equal in
potential. Since the current flowing through the DC load 1 is same
as that flowing through the resistance 5 which is accurately known,
the current can be calculated by measuring the potential at the
second end 53 of the resistance 5. Thus, if the transistor 31 is
configured to operate at an unsaturated region, a drift or
deviation of the output voltage of the power source 2 can be
nullified by the potential difference between the collector 315 and
the emitter 313 of the transistor 31, so that the potential at the
second end 53 of the resistance 5 can be maintained at a
substantially constant level. As a result, the voltage drop across
the DC load 1 can be maintained at a substantially constant level,
and thus the current flowing through the DC load 1 will not change.
As such, when the LED light source of the camera works at a low
brightness state, the LED light source can emit light accurately,
and thus the image stability of the camera can be improved.
[0040] Furthermore, since the power supply 2 for driving the LED
light source is using steady analog voltage output in stead of PWM
output, the flickering problem in high-speed photography can be
avoided completely, so that the LED light source allows the camera
to take over 1,000 pictures per second, or even up to 50,000
pictures per second. Of course, such a light source is also
suitable for use in criminal identification and analysis. With the
LED light source and the control device of the present invention,
hidden fingerprints 9, blood traces, or other body fluids with
fluorescent proteins can be quickly found. In particular, since the
brightness and color of the LED light source do not deviate from
their predetermined levels, images can be taken accurately for
evidence, and the captured image data can be analyzed
quantitatively, the investigation result can withstand repeat
inspections and comparisons in court.
[0041] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention,
which includes a DC load 1' implemented as an LED light source, a
power supply 2', a feedback voltage regulation unit 3', a voltage
control unit 4', and a current-limiting resistance 5', which are
same as the previous embodiment except that the light strips of the
LED light source 1' can be selectively connected in series or
parallel, and the output voltage of the power supply 2' can be
adjusted in response to a change of connection of the LED light
strips. Similar to the previous embodiment, the transistor 31' is a
PNP-type BJT, and the base 311', which serves as a control input,
is connected to the output terminal 331' of the operational
amplifier 33'. The collector 315' is connected to the
current-limiting resistor 5' as well as the inverting input 335' of
the operational amplifier 33'. The emitter 313' is connected to a
negative end of the LED light source 1'. The voltage control unit
4' further includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 45' in
addition to the microprocessor 41' and the DAC 43'. The ADC 45' is
connected to the negative end of the LED light source 1' and the
emitter 313' of the transistor 31'. This allows the potential at
the negative end of the LED light source 1' to be converted by the
ADC 45' to a corresponding digital signal, which is in turn
transmitted to the microprocessor 41'. If the output voltage of the
power supply 2' is insufficient, the potential at the negative end
of the LED strips is low or approaches zero. Upon the
microprocessor 41' receives a low potential signal from the ADC
45', the microprocessor 41' can issue a boost signal (EN) to the
boost/buck controller 21', by which a predetermined output voltage
set value for the LED light source 1' can be adjusted, so that the
power supply 2' can boost its output voltage gradually until the
potential at the negative end of the LED strips returns to its
normal value, and thus the LED light source 1' can be operated
normally.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 4 in conjunction with FIG. 3, which shows
a fluorescent microscope 7' that uses the LED light source 1' of
the second embodiment. When more light strips are connected in
series, the microprocessor 41' can command the power supply 2' to
boost its output voltage. When lower brightness light is required,
the microprocessor 41' can issue a corresponding digital signal to
the DAC', which in turn sends a corresponding analog signal to the
operational amplifier 33', which in turn drives the transistor 31'
to increase the potential between the emitter 313' and the
collector 315', so that the voltage drop across the
current-limiting resistance 5' is maintained at a predetermined
level. Therefore, the current flowing through the LED light source
1' can be accurately controlled at a substantially constant
level.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a light source control device according to a
third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows a surgical
lamp assembly using the light source control device. As shown, the
transistor 31'' is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT),
which combines the futures of MOSFETs and the BJTs (NPN or PNP). In
this embodiment, the IGBT employs a MOSFET and an NPN component,
wherein the collector 315'' of the NPN component is connected to
the DC load 1'', which is implemented as an LED light source; the
gate 311'' of the MOSFET, which serve as a control input, is
connected to the output terminal 331'' of the operational amplifier
33''; the emitter 313'' of the NPN component is connected to the
current-limiting resistor 5''. As such, the current (Is) flowing
through the LED light source 1'' can be maintained at a
substantially constant level. In addition, a feedback resistor 35''
can be added between the current-limiting resistor 5'' and the
inverting input 335'' of the operational amplifier 3'' to increase
the gain of the amplifier 33''. It is required that the feedback
resistance 35'' has a proper value so that the IGBT 31'' can work
at an unsaturated region. The rest is similar to the previous
embodiments.
[0044] In the event where one of the parallel-connected LED light
strips of the DC load 1'' is damaged, causing a decrease of the
number of the parallel circuits, each of the remaining light strips
will share a larger amount of current and thus is susceptible to
overcurrent. As a result, the remaining light strips may be quickly
and totally damaged. In order to avoid such a situation, those
skilled in the art may know that an additional current-sensing
element or light sensor may be provided for the LED light strips to
monitor the current or luminous intensity at each light strip,
which can be fed back to the microprocessor to have the output
current of the DC power supply or the output of the voltage control
unit controlled to compensate the effect caused by the decrease of
the number of the parallel circuits of the DC load 1'', so that the
remaining LED light strips can be prevented from excessive current.
As such, the remaining LED light strips can be operated at a normal
range, and thus accidental quick damages of the light strips can be
avoided.
[0045] FIG. 6 shows a shadowless lamp 8'' used in a surgery room,
which has gradually been changed to using an LED light source.
However, conventional technology cannot ensure a light source free
of a drift of the luminous intensity and the light color during a
surgical or recording procedure. Contrary to conventional
technology, the light source control device of the present
invention can control luminous intensity and light color precisely.
With the control device of the present invention, accurate lighting
and brightness of the surgery room can be achieved, so that the
contour and color of an object can be distinguished accurately, and
thus the problems can be reduced greatly. In particular, a light
source can be adjusted by the control device at any time according
to the requirement of an application, thus ensuring the quality of
ambient light during a medical treatment.
[0046] FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention,
wherein the DC load 1''' is an infrared semiconductor laser element
of 200 watts for laser engraving or laser cutting, wherein the
driving voltage is only about 2 volts, but the current consumption
is approximately 100 amps. Even a slight increase of the voltage
may cause a significant increase of the current flowing through the
element, thus damaging the element. For a laser engraving machine
or laser cutting machine, since the machine can produce a lot heat,
the moving speed of the laser light source of the machine relative
to a workpiece should be controlled accurately. For a proper
engraving or cutting, either the laser light source or the driving
motor of the machine has to respond quickly without a large
error.
[0047] Generally, a BiCMOS transistor generally includes an
n-channel MOSFET combined with an NPN/PNP component, and a
p-channel MOSFET combined with an NPN/PNP component. In FIG. 7, the
transistor 31''' is shown to include a n-channel MOSFET combined
with an NPN component, wherein the collector 315''' of the NPN
component is connected to the DC load 1'''; the gate 311''' of the
MOSFET, which serves as a control input, is connected to the output
terminal 331''' of the operational amplifier 33'''; the emitter
313''' of the NPN component is connected to the current-limiting
resistor 5'''. As such, the current (Is) flowing through the DC
load 1''' is controlled at a substantially constant level.
[0048] FIG. 8 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention,
wherein the DC load 1'''' is a motor; the feedback voltage
regulation unit 3'''' includes a Darlinton transistor 31'''', which
are formed by two NPN components, wherein the collector 315''' of
the transistor is connected to the DC load 1'''; the base 311''' of
the transistor (at one NPN component), which serves as a control
input, is connected to the output terminal 331''' of the
operational amplifier 33'''; the emitter 313''' of the transistor
(at another NPN component) is connected to the current-limiting
resistor 5'''. As such, the current (Is) flowing through the DC
load 1''' is controlled at a substantially constant level. Of
course, one skilled in the art can easily understand that the
transistor can have more than two components to increase the total
current gain.
[0049] Since the transistor of the feedback voltage regulation unit
disclosed in the present disclosure is configured to operate at an
unsaturated region, and the operational amplifier outputs a signal
to the control input of the transistor, any drift or deviation in
the output voltage of the power supply can be nullified by the
transistor to have the potential across the current-limiting
resistance maintained at a stable level, which corresponds to the
digital signal issued from the microprocessor. Therefore, the
current flowing through the DC load can be maintained a stable
level; namely, the current flowing through the DC load can be
stabilized. With the present invention, the problem due to power
supply voltage drift can be eliminated, and the DC load can be
operated at a predetermined state, without using PWM, and thus
high-frequency EMI can be avoided. Moreover, when the DC load is an
LED light source, the problem of wavelength or brightness drift, as
commonly seen in CCR-controlled light sources, can be avoided. The
feedback voltage regulation unit can respond to a digital signal
issued from the microprocessor and control the LED light source
with accuracy to allow the LED light source to operate at a
low-brightness state. The control device of the present invention,
including the voltage control unit and the feedback voltage
regulation unit, allows the LED light source to be controlled more
precisely than the existing PWM control technology and CCR
technology. When the LED light source is applied in a test or
experiment, precision and reliability can be increased, and thus
data reproducibility can be obtained to facilitate quantitative
analysis.
[0050] While the invention has been described with reference to the
preferred embodiments above, it should be recognized that the
preferred embodiments are given for the purpose of illustration
only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
invention and that various modifications and changes, which will be
apparent to those skilled in the relevant art, may be made without
departing from the scope of the invention.
* * * * *